The Future of Consumerist

Over the last twelve years, Consumerist has been a steadfast proponent and voice on behalf of consumers, from exposing shady practices by secretive cable companies to pushing for action against dodgy payday lenders. Now, we’re joining forces with Consumer Reports, our parent organization, to cultivate the next generation of consumer advocacy.

Stay tuned as Consumerist’s current and future content finds its home as a part of the Consumer Reports brand. In the meantime, you can access existing Consumerist content below, and we encourage you to visit Consumer Reports to read the latest consumer news.

insurance institute for highway safety

Vehicle safety technology has evolved to increasingly protect passengers in the event of a collision, but a new report from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (the people who crash cars into walls for science) suggests that not all airbag placements are created equal, and that passenger safety devices in the front seats of some SUVs may not offer the same protection as they do for drivers. [More]

When driving with the most precious of cargo — your child — you obviously want to ensure that youngster is as safe as possible, but what good are the newest child safety measures if they’re too complicated to use? [More]

There you are, rolling along in your nice luxury car with custom leather interior, awesome speakers and one of those voice-activated virtual assistants offering to find you a late-night taco joint and all is well with the world. Unless maybe, you get in an accident and discover that just because your car is fancy, it might not hold up so well in a crash. A new test by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has resulted in some failing grades for luxury and near-luxury automakers. [More]

Minivan bumpers may not protect much, but they sure do cost a lot to repair, according to the Insurance Institute For Highway Safety. The IIHS smashed six minivans to test their bumpers and found that all racked up repair bills exceeding $5,000. The Nissan Quest was singled out as a “miserable failure,” costing $8,000 to patch-up.

These are the 25 cars you’re least likely to die in, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Top Safety Picks 2007. They do front and side crashes at high speeds. They see how much of a crick in the neck you get after being hit in the rear. One thing that stands out is that cars with optional electronic stability control are getting good grades.

Subcompacts save gas but they may not save your ass in a crash. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reviewed eight small cars and only the Nissan Versa received a high score in front, rear, and side impacts.